A Rose For How Long?
by susanatc
Summary: A quick follow-up to "A Rose For Everafter" just because I wanted to.


_This is a quick, one-shot follow-up to A Rose For Everafter. I absolutely loved this episode, especially Beckett's "I didn't think you went for real women" comment in the elevator. As usual, these characters don't belong to me, although I'm still holding out hope that someone is giving them to me for my birthday. A huge thank you to SD for the read-over and for getting me addicted to this show._

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Kate carried the tub of ice cream with her into the living room, and settled on the couch. She drew her legs up under her and pulled a blanket over her as she grabbed the remote control and started the movie. Scooping a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, she settled back into the cushions to enjoy one of her favorite movies.

She was glad they had solved this case and that Kyra and Greg had been able to go through with their wedding ceremony, even if it had ended up to be a much smaller affair than originally intended. Actually, relieved was probably a more accurate description of her feelings. As much as it pained her to admit it, Lanie had been right. She had been jealous of Castle's ex-girlfriend; jealous of the relationship the two of them had obviously shared; and jealous of the fact that Kyra knew a part of Castle that he now kept closely guarded.

In the time spent with Castle, Kate had seen glimpses of that part of him that truly loved without abandon when he dealt with Alexis or Martha, but those glimpses were rare. Her experiences with him were more with the "devil may care" persona that he showed the world. Having met Kyra, she wondered if he had developed that part of his personality to protect his heart from having to experience the pain of losing someone he loved again.

Spooning another bite of ice cream into her mouth, she pondered what it would be like to be admitted into the close circle of friends that Castle trusted enough to truly be himself around. Or better yet, for Kyra's parting words to ring true and for him to truly be all hers.

She shook her head at that last thought. Since when did she want Castle? He was the most annoying, obnoxious, pain-in-the-ass she'd ever dealt with. And yet…hearing Sheila Blaine blast him about having no character had made Kate want to defend him. Realizing that Kyra was different from Castle's ex-wives, and seeing the hurt in his eyes when she'd commented that she didn't think he went for "real" women kindled the hope within her that the attraction between them could one day be something real as well.

Perhaps his emotions had blinded him to the possibility that Kyra could possibly have murdered Sophie, but would she have expected any less from him if it had been Alexis or Martha? She'd hated having to confront him with her suspicion that Kyra had been involved in the murder. She'd hated the look in his eyes when she'd suggested Kyra acted out of jealousy, and she'd hoped that her suspicions would turn out to be wrong. Even if it meant losing him to Kyra, it would be better than being responsible for causing that look of pain in his eyes to become permanent.

Kate sighed as her thoughts chased each other around in her mind. It had been painful for her to look through the surveillance photos and see Castle holding Kyra in his arms…kissing her…sharing such an intimate moment. Even as the anger that he'd once again ignored her instructions began to build, she'd allowed herself a moment to imagine what it would be like to have him look at her that way, to feel his arms wrapped around her, and his lips pressed against her own.

The doorbell startled her back to the present, and she realized she'd already missed twenty minutes of the movie. Laughing at herself, she paused the movie and set aside the blanket to head to the door.

She checked the peephole, and was surprised to see Castle. She glanced down at her worn sweatshirt and faded jeans with a shrug. She had not been expecting company, and most definitely not Rick Castle.

Shifting the tub of ice cream to her right hand, she reached for the door with her left. "Castle."

"Beckett," he said as his eyes quickly took in her appearance. He had debated with himself for quite a while before just finally getting in a cab and heading over. "Am I interrupting? I shouldn't have shown up unannounced. I should've called first."

"Just having some ice cream and watching a movie," she replied. "Come on in."

He hesitated for a moment and then stepped into her apartment. As he shrugged off his jacket, she closed the door behind him. "What can I do for you, Castle?"

"Could we talk for a minute?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. Lifting the ice cream in her hand, she said, "Do you want some ice cream?"

"No thanks," he replied with a smile.

She led him into the living room and turned off the television to give him her undivided attention. She sat the ice cream on the end table as she once again settled on the couch. When he sat on the opposite end of the couch, she turned to face him and pulled her legs up to cross them in front of her.

"What's on your mind, Castle?"

"I'm sorry that I ignored you," he began, not entirely sure how to start the conversation, but knowing that he owed her an explanation. "When you told me to stay away from Kyra. I had intended to do just that, to give you time to solve the case, but when she called and asked me to meet her somewhere, I couldn't tell her no."

Kate nodded slowly. "I understand, Castle."

He lifted his gaze to hers. "Do you?"

She kept her gaze locked on his as she replied, "Sure I do. You two were young and in love. You had dreams for your future together, plans for how you were going to spend the rest of your life with her. Then one day, it all came crashing down around you. For whatever reason, she walked away from you, and you…well, you loved her enough to let her go."

"It was hard as first, dealing with the pain and the regrets, but you were able to find success in your writing and in your career. You even thought you'd found love again, only to realize it wasn't what you thought it was, but from that, you got Alexis, and suddenly things started to make sense again. Then one day, you're face to face with Kyra again and it feels like no time has really passed. There's still that connection between you, something you've never shared with anyone else. And in spite of the circumstances, you know in your heart that this woman who once loved you couldn't possibly have taken a life."

It shouldn't have surprised him how accurately she'd guessed the situation, but it did. His voice was soft when he spoke again. "When she left, she said she needed space. The other day in the ballroom, she told me that I was supposed to have followed her."

Kate shook her head. Sometimes people in relationships were just dumb. "I don't understand what drives a woman to ask for space and then makes her think that if you love her, you'll follow her anyway. To me, loving someone means respecting their decisions, even if you don't necessarily agree with them. You couldn't have possibly known that she expected you to follow her, Castle." Wanting desperately to erase the hurt she could hear in his voice, she added, "She was a fool to leave you Castle. Then…and now."

He blinked at the vehemence in her voice, and then offered a small smile. "Not this time," he countered. "Kyra's a smart woman, Kate. She knew that her place was with Greg and that what we once had between us was best left in the past."

"Do you feel the same way?" Kate asked.

"I won't say that I regret seeing her again," he replied. "Spending time with her again has allowed me to finally get closure on that part of my life. Kyra's a part of my past, but she's not part of my future."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself," Kate offered, relieved that his voice had once again returned to normal, the pain of lost love seeming to have faded a bit as they talked.

His eyes locked with hers and he decided to try to give voice to what he'd been struggling with ever since Kyra had walked out of the conference room. "That's because I know exactly what I want for my future. And who I want to spend it with." Without giving her a chance to respond, he offered her a wink and a full blown smile. "I think I've changed my mind. I would like some of that ice cream."

Kate shook her head to clear it, feeling as if she'd just missed something. Did he really just imply…No, he couldn't have. She got to her feet and carried the tub of ice cream to the kitchen to scoop some into bowls, her body working on autopilot as her mind tried to grasp the concept that Rick Castle had just insinuated himself firmly into her personal life.

She carried the bowls back into the living room, not surprised to find that Castle had kicked off his shoes and made himself comfortable on the couch. "Thank you," he said as he took the bowl from her, his fingers brushing against hers sending a jolt through her body. "So what are we watching?"

"'While You Were Sleeping'," she replied as she settled back on the couch and picked up the remote.

"One of Alexis's favorites," Castle replied.

Kate merely shook her head as she turned the movie back on. She would figure him out later. For now, she was just going to enjoy the movie…and his company.

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_It would make my day if you'd leave a review and let me know what you think._


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